ABSTRACT
At any of the twice-monthly dharma assemblies (fahui) held at major urban temples throughout China on the first and fifteenth days of the lunar month, one can find gatherings of lay practitioners moving among crowds of temple-goers to distribute free Buddhist media.1 These practitioners distribute their free materials to lay participants in the chanting of the sutras (songjing), devotees lined up to bring offerings of incense to buddhas and bodhisattvas, and clusters of friends and fellow Buddhists (tongxiu) engaged in conversation. Sometimes they need only to stand in temple courtyards and wait for those interested to collect their free materials. Temple-goers will often push and shove their way to collect particularly sought-after items. The materials these distributors hand out range through professionally bound books, flimsy photocopied handouts, large laminated posters of mandalas, DVDs of famous monks lecturing against the scenic backdrop of China’s sacred Buddhist mountains, and plastic music boxes that replay tinny praises to Amitabha Buddha every few seconds. Those distributing copies of Buddhist scripture or morality literature offer their own interpretations to the recipients of their texts through impromptu sermons. Other practitioners gather to share and discuss materials gained from a variety of distributors in interactive groups with no dominant preacher or leader. Some temples provide tables or bookshelves for interested practitioners to drop off and pick up books and handouts while other temples, fearing the uncontrolled circulation of unapproved materials, have discouraged or banned the free distribution of any media without prior permission. It is rare, however, to find a temple where the distribution of Buddhist materials does not take place at all whether it is out in the open or in furtive corners away from prying eyes. When taken home to family, neighbors, and friends, these materials can help to attract new converts. A growing community of lay practitioners has gained much of their knowledge of Buddhism from reading or viewing this distributed media. This knowledge has fueled a range of lively discourses among practitioners, often in the public space of the temple, which have, in turn, led many practitioners to produce their own materials for distribution. As I aim to demonstrate in this chapter, the writing, circulation, and discussion of Buddhist media have contributed in important and unanticipated ways to the revival of lay Buddhist practice in contemporary mainland China (Figures 3.1 and 3.2).
